Amul Milk Co-Operative Anand – Special Cover 2003

In the early 1940s, The British Government decided to improve the quality of milk in Bombay City. The Bombay Municipal Corporation Milk Supply Scheme was started in 1945. Polson a private enterprise at Anand organised a strong network of contractors and traders to procure milk from farmers of Khaira District of Anand. The company made the minimum price to farmers and reaped big profits by selling it at high prices to Bombay Municipal Corporation. The farmers complained to Sardar Vallabhai Patel who advocated Milk Cooperatives which gave rise to Amul Dairy Co-Operative.

The First Farmers integrated Diary Co-operative was established in Anand town of Kaira District of Gujarat in 1946, to fight against the exploitation of farmers by private traders. This co-operative is popularly known as AMUL (Anand Milk Union Limited). AMUL was a result of a powerful socio-economic movement which shook the British Bureaucracy.

Tribhuvandas Kishibhai Patel (1903-1994) was the founder of Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union and later the Amul co-operative movement in Anand. He is known as the father of the Co-operative movement in India. He was a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Ramo Magsaysay award for Community Leadership.

Dr Verghese Kurien (1921-2012)- Tribhuvandas Patel picked up Verghese Kurien as a young manager for the co-operative movement. He helped in setting up the AMUL cooperative and is known as Father of White Revolution in India. He was awarded Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri, Ramon Magsaysay Award, World Food Prize among so many other awards.

A Special Cover was issued at Anand on 03 Oct 2003 on Birth Centenary of Tribhuvandas Patel. It features the AMUL logo and photograph of Tribhuvandas Patel and Dr V Kurien.